By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com
Mike and Lisa Whited along with their son Cody discovered the true spirit of Christmas could not be destroyed by fire, only refined in the heat of tragedy to re-emerge shining brighter than ever.
The Whiteds spent this past Christmas holiday, as well as Lisa’s and Cody’s birthday, in Gatlinburg serving the fire victims there by bringing aid and gifts. But they are quick to acknowledge that they may have received the greater gift through the experience.
“It was probably the best Christmas I’ve had my entire life,” Lisa said.
Mike added, “It is what Christmas is all about.”
The Whiteds packed their truck, every nook and cranny from bumper to bumper, with items they had collected from the Crawford County community. Once in Gatlinburg they teamed up with other volunteers in the aid effort from Wisconsin, Tennessee, Alabama and Ohio. Mike estimated the accumulation of gifts and aid would have filled a 30-foot trailer.
In addition, they received some Christmas wish lists from families with children and had the enjoyable task of shopping for items on those lists.
“Cody told me that was the best part, being able to shop for the other kids,” Lisa said.
Then came the tasks of putting together bicycles and sorting out gifts to be distributed by 6 o’clock on the Friday night before Christmas.
“We ended up helping 141 kids have Christmas – toys, bikes, candy, gloves and hats . . . It was awesome,” Lisa said.
“The expressions on the kids’ faces was worth the whole experience,” Mike added.
But the Whiteds and others weren’t done. They treated another 40 children on Christmas Eve. Then, while dining at a local restaurant, they noticed a bulletin board item about a restaurant employee that needed assistance for Christmas for her family that had eight children.
“We loaded the truck back up,” Mike said.
“Of course there were a lot of tears,” Lisa said. “I still cry when I think about it.”
The experience was just as overwhelming for the Gatlinburg parents who thought the hope for a happy holiday for their children had gone up in smoke along with everything they had owned.
“I was just happy to see them so happy,” Mike said.
The Whiteds also got to see the devastation firsthand from the fire that ripped through the Smokies.
“It was like a bomb that went off. Some of the stories of the people, you want to cry,” Mike said, struggling to contain his own emotions while Lisa dried her own tears. “One of the store owners downtown said when he left it was like driving through hell. It was worse than what it was on TV.”
Lisa proudly showed the T-shirt she picked up from Gatlinburg. On the front it read, “Gatlinburg – out of the ashes we rise.” On the back was, “God will restore.”
The Whiteds were quick to praise those locally who had helped them in their efforts to help others they didn’t know. In addition to several individuals were some office staff at Central Ohio Warehouse in Shelby who had read the story on Crawford County Now about them going to Gatlinburg. The Bucyrus Fire Department also pitched in as did Good Hope Lutheran Church in Bucyrus, the Wynford Junior & Senior High School student body, the Pietist Church in Chatfield and the Whiteds’ own church – Victory Rock Church in Galion.
“It was just overwhelming for our family, but I think it made us closer,” Lisa said. “We got to share the true meaning of Christmas which is serving others, not about receiving gifts, but doing for others. And we made some lasting friendships with the other volunteers. It was pretty amazing.”
But the story isn’t over – in fact its’ conclusion may be that it will not end.
“I think we’ve found our new Christmas tradition,” Lisa said.
The family has already made plans for a return trip to Gatlinburg in June to take school supplies and “whatever else God lays on our hearts.” And of course they are making plans for Christmas of 2017.
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